#LA20 Wrap Up: Landscape Architecture History

As we are now in the month of April, the 20^th anniversary of not only our beloved Landscape Architecture Studio, but of our esteemed principal and vice president, Bill Sowa, we’ll be commemorating two tour de forces who are entirely responsible for shaping the department into what it is today. It’ll be a blast from the past. Or should I say, “back to the future?”

It all goes back to Senior Landscape Architecture Manager Brian Glick loving architecture and gardening at a young age. While enrolled in the University of Maryland’s architecture program for two years, he stumbled upon Landscape Architecture. With degree in tow, Brian landed at a landscape architecture design firm in San Ramon. 

Before establishing today’s foundation for Landscape Architecture, Brian’s first major project was completed while he interned in Baltimore, Maryland, at a similar multi-disciplinary firm.
When he finally joined HMH, Brian’s first plan of action was to acquire project-related success. Then gradually over time, that would evolve into team success. Two decades later, having been through the trenches, the highs, and the lows of project-related success, he undoubtedly claims his favorite projects are the ones completed today.

Especially when reflecting on the first half of those years, the most memorable parts for him are the “a-ha” moments. “Working alongside Surveyors, Civil Engineers, and Land Planning professionals was and continues to be a daily educational experience,” he says. Brian adds that over the course of the past two decades, there are too many lessons to list, but the main component of those lessons is communication. “It’s the key to success and what is responsible for most of the world’s ‘uh-oh’ moments,” he wisely quips. Brian has felt so fortunate to have had people from other disciplines educate, mentor, and encourage him to be more than what he’s been doing as a landscape architect.

Fast forward to the present day, and Brian believes that the biggest difference from then versus now with the department is having a plan in place. “Under Bill Sowa’s guidance in combination with the Landscape Architecture team’s hard work, we are now more diverse in project types, client types, geographic location, etc.,” he explains.
Such challenging projects require a passionate and tenacious team to work together in effective communication—traits the Landscape Architecture team possesses—and to their credit, makes Brian’s role as senior manager so rewarding. “I have come to value the relationships within this incredible team. I enjoy my daily duties and am motivated from within. My ‘WHY’ is the people—this team. I truly find so much joy in their growth, success, and happiness,” he sentiments. Gushing about what makes the current team “tick” and stand out, Brian feels they have assembled individuals whose various skills, interests, backgrounds, and personalities complement each other.

Naturally, like with managing any team, challenges persist to strengthen and test you as a leader. For Brian, he admits the most challenging part of management is his own growth. Humbly stating, he says he didn’t have any formal leadership or project management experience prior to working at HMH.

As the future beckons on the horizon, Brian is very much aware of the legacy he and Bill Sowa have created, and can only dream of it continuing, and even becoming greater, into the succeeding years.

Journeys are hardly linear, as proven by Bill Sowa. Prior to realizing landscape architecture was his calling, he had lofty dreams of becoming a pilot. With his father having served in the Navy, he figured to follow suit, but somehow contracted a pretty severe eye virus in high school. Well, that went from “try out the Navy” to that’ll be hazy. “I managed to make it through treatments, but it left a scar on my cornea that made me legally blind in my right eye,” he lamented.  After an unsuccessful attempt in wrapping his brain around advanced computer science technicalities, Bill sought the direction of the career center to shed light on the mystery. “So, for a small fee, you could take a test that would say ‘SURVEY SAYS’… *ding ding ding* a list of potential careers you could fit into… lo and behold, Landscape Architecture ended up being one of top options of the list. That’s the first time I heard about it.” Soon after, he learned that California Polytechnic State University Pomona had a program, so he applied and started that fall in 1990. For Bill, it made sense given his upbringing.  Surprise, surprise? Hardly.

Hearkening back to the start of his career, he spoke fondly about joining a small firm called Hoffman Associates Landscape Architecture—HALA. Hired in 1995 to the tutelage of Jim Hoffman as his CAD technician and junior designer, Bill was the one to activate the workstation and plotter, getting them to operate properly a couple weeks after he started. However, at the time, he concurrently worked at Woolworth’s plant nursery to help make ends meet as HALA was not full-time. Shortly thereafter, the CAD workstation became the energizer bunny, as work picked up and he sometimes was needed for a whole week to keep up with the demand. Being the only CAD user has its perks, apparently.

Unfortunately, with the dot com bubble burst, work slowed down and because this was something HALA couldn’t afford, the team eventually shut their doors.

Ultimately Bill stumbled upon an HMH opening on Craigslist seeking a licensed landscape architect to help build Landscape Architecture that had Brian Glick, now senior manager, as one of the first designers in the company. Ray Hashimoto, interim president, and land planning principal interviewed him and was hired in April of 2004. “What drew me to HMH was the stability and diversity, and in the midst of getting my Master’s in Regional and Urban Planning at San Jose State, having a Land Use and Entitlement department made me believe this would be a great learning experience,” Bill reflected.

And just like with everything else, there were growing pains. He quickly realized a set plan wasn’t in place as Landscape Architecture was quite new for everyone in the company, and sadly, the following week of his hire, a senior designer had quit. Curious, Bill decided to get a feel for colleagues’ thoughts and discovered it was divided—some thought it was a short-term experiment whereas others embraced the idea.

To get the gears turning, Bill thinks back to his first major project with Landscape Architecture and shares how it has changed his thought process from then to now. “Hmmm. The first project I was introduced to at HMH was Green Hills Estates in Chowchilla—a project from the Gilroy office,” he smiles. Adding thoughtfully, “Interestingly, we are still working with that client and in that area to this day. As I can recollect, they were installing 24-inch-box fan palm trees as the street tree, and I pointed out that this choice of tree would be a bit ‘underwhelming’ for the street… well, they were already at installation, but lo and behold 20 years later, they ended up looking great.” Bill’s takeaway?  “The process is like when I started nearly 30 years ago but the tools have changed… being able to visualize almost in real time concepts and ideas of the designer has been amazing. Digital tools and the speed at which we can ideate is beneficial for getting consensus on ideas and moving them forward,” he expresses. Part of anyone’s career also includes stand-out projects for their impact on the individual(s) who worked on them. In Bill’s case, he proudly/happily notes that a butterfly garden at an elementary school in the Alum Rock School district holds a special place in his heart.

Bill’s tenure has amassed two decades and tested by changing times. The first decade is filled with teachable and memorable moments, “captured with the rapid, almost uncontrolled expansion of the LA department… to hitting the 2009 collapse of the mortgage market, causing us to downsize to bare essentials, and then finally, gradually rebuilding the team from 2012, onwards,” he explains in a nutshell. Bill further adds that he’s learned diversifying in client type, project type and skill set gives you greater opportunity to pivot when unexpected things are thrown your way. However, one thing he mentions that you do have control over is part of the bigger picture in the industry, and a “lessons learned” mantra. “Don’t burn any bridges,” he says as a matter of fact. Appending to that statement, he advises that the person or people you are working with can often end up being someone or a group you need to work with again on the opposite sides of the table—which he has seen manifested in the industry.

As a principal and vice president, Bill’s goals for HMH have always been focused on growth. He emphasizes the importance of seeking opportunities to strengthen client relationships, looking for new markets to enter, developing skilled employees to execute the quality and service promises that we make and creating a culture where everyone has a voice, is heard, and contributes to the betterment of the collective company. To which we agreed—is a pretty common theme. Ever since the beginning, Bill has been grateful to HMH for the opportunity to own part of the company and take on many roles and responsibilities within the organization.  Moreover, as we continue to discuss growth, Bill admits that there haven’t been any stark differences from how Landscape Architecture functioned back then to now. He details that HMH has always adapted to industry advancements in production work, company culture and next steps—never been one to rest on its laurels, a trait we emphasize others to strive for. Bill continues, “From an operational standpoint, we’ve done a better job at entrusting our mid-level project managers to help drive the success of the company. When given that responsibility to the leads and have them make decisions, they contribute tremendously to the growth and prosperity of the organization.” As for projects, those don’t come by easy these days. He recognizes the regulations and bureaucracy surrounding the industry, resulting in decreased work, and increasing challenges. Noticeably, more effort is needed to create relationships with those who are in the roles of decision making and often seems the goals of projects and how the community benefits ultimately don’t fully align.

The main factor in company growth is teamwork and team dynamics. All the rewards and challenges come together to provide that necessary yin and yang effect. For a principal, being an advocate for the team, and nurturing its success are the most effective ways to oversee the team. “Coming up on 30 years in this industry, I feel I have seen and done it all at one point or another. Things will continue to change but they can always be rooted in the past,” he says. “I enjoy being able to mentor and coach people, be part of the a-ha moment and be able to sit back and marvel at the talent and ambition of the next generation.” On the other side of the coin, challenges are viewed as opportunities more than anything.  It’s the nature of the “team” that excites Bill—observing the nuances of the individuals, finding the connections, being supportive and not overzealous, yet having honest interactions he feels is the best way to not have challenges.

Today, the combined leadership between him and Brian Glick has culminated to an outstanding rapport with the Landscape Architecture team.  Bill further points out how he thinks other businesses prioritize the “bottom line,” and acknowledges that while it’s important, internal relations need constant development to optimize company potential.

As a closing sentiment and to impart more nuggets of wisdom, he thoughtfully expresses his aspirations for the team moving forward into the next five to ten years. With HMH celebrating its golden anniversary in 2026, Bill pauses for a moment, “…Its success is rooted in recognizing that a solid transition plan is best for longevity.”

In other words, live long and prosper, HMH 🖖. And Happy 20^th, Landscape Architecture!